Footwear assembly systems with 3D printing

Abstract

Methods and systems are disclosed for apparel assembly using three-dimensional printing directly onto fabric apparel materials. Disclosed is a method and system for direct three-dimensional printing and assembly of an article of apparel, including designing a three-dimensional pattern for printing, positioning at least a portion of the article on a tray in a three-dimensional printing system, the portion being positioned substantially flat on the tray, printing a three-dimensional material directly onto the article using the designed pattern, curing the printed material, and removing the article from the three-dimensional printing system.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A system for three-dimensional printing directly onto multiple fabric portions of an article of footwear, comprising:
 a first nontransitory computer-readable medium encoded with a first computer program product loadable into a first memory of a first computer and including first software code portions for storing a three-dimensional pattern for printing directly onto the multiple fabric portions of the article of footwear; 
 a print server; 
 a switching device; 
 a three-dimensional printer device; 
 wherein the print server is in direct communication with the three-dimensional printer device and the switching device; 
 wherein the switching device is in direct communication with the three-dimensional printer device and the print server; 
 wherein the first nontransitory computer-readable medium is in direct communication with the switching device; 
 wherein the print server comprises a second nontransitory computer-readable medium encoded with a second computer program product loadable into a second memory of a second computer and including second software code portions configured, when executed on the second computer, for instructing the three-dimensional printing device to print directly onto the multiple fabric portions of the article of footwear through a first sequence of printing steps and a second sequence of printing steps; 
 wherein a first fabric portion of the multiple fabric portions is at least a portion of a side of an upper of the article of footwear and a second fabric portion of the multiple fabric portions is at least a portion of a bottom of the upper of the article of footwear; 
 wherein the three-dimensional printer device comprises
 a first tray having a first horizontal surface that receives the first fabric portion to provide a first fabric printing substrate, 
 a second tray having a second horizontal surface that defines an opening sized to mount the second fabric portion substantially flush with the second horizontal surface to provide a second fabric print substrate for printing a sole of the article of footwear, 
 at least one printing head for printing three-dimensional material onto the first fabric portion in the first sequence and onto the second fabric portion in the second sequence, and 
 at least one ultraviolet light for curing three-dimensional material printed in the first and second sequences; and 
 
 wherein the three-dimensional printer device is configured to print the three-dimensional material onto at least one irregular surface portion of at least one of the first fabric portion and the second fabric portion. 
 
     
     
       2. The system according to  claim 1 , wherein the three-dimensional printer device is configured to compensate for irregularities in the at least one irregular surface portion by at least one of adjusting a distance between the at least one printing head and the at least one irregular surface portion and adjusting at least one of size, rate, and distribution of three-dimensional material ejected from the at least one printing head. 
     
     
       3. The system according to  claim 1 , wherein the at least one irregular surface portion comprises at least one of a knit and a weave of the at least one of the first fabric portion and the second fabric portion. 
     
     
       4. The system according to  claim 1 , wherein the second software code portions are configured, when executed on the second computer, to instruct the three-dimensional printing device to wait a predetermined amount of time after printing of the three-dimensional material prior to curing the three-dimensional material with the at least one ultraviolet light, to allow the three-dimensional material to at least partially absorb into the at least one irregular surface portion of the at least one of the first fabric portion and the second fabric portion, prior to curing the three-dimensional material. 
     
     
       5. The system according to  claim 1 , wherein the second software code portions are configured, when executed on the second computer, to instruct the three-dimensional printer device to:
 print a first layer of three-dimensional material onto the at least one irregular surface portion of the at least one of the first fabric portion and the second fabric portion; 
 wait a predetermined amount of time after printing the first layer of three-dimensional material prior to curing the first layer of three-dimensional material with the at least one ultraviolet light, to allow the first layer of three-dimensional material to at least partially absorb into fabric of the at least one irregular surface portion of the at least one of the first fabric portion and the second fabric portion; 
 cure the first layer of three-dimensional material with the at least one ultraviolet light; 
 print at least one additional layer of three-dimensional material on the cured first layer; and 
 cure the at least one additional layer of three-dimensional material with the at least one ultraviolet light. 
 
     
     
       6. The system according to  claim 5 , wherein the first layer and the at least one additional layer differ in at least one of modulus of elasticity and color. 
     
     
       7. The system according to  claim 1 , wherein the at least one irregular surface portion of the at least one of the first fabric portion and the second fabric portion comprises at least one of a textile, a natural fabric, a synthetic fabric, a knit, a woven material, a nonwoven material, a mesh, a leather, a synthetic leather, a polymer, a rubber, and a foam. 
     
     
       8. The system according to  claim 1 , wherein the first fabric portion and the second fabric portion of the upper of the article of footwear prevent durable adhesion of the three-dimensional material to the first tray or second tray. 
     
     
       9. The system according to  claim 1 , wherein the three-dimensional material comprises at least one of an ink, a resin, an acrylic, a polymer, a thermoplastic material, a thermosetting material, and a light-curable material. 
     
     
       10. The system according to  claim 1 , wherein the three-dimensional material further comprises a filler material. 
     
     
       11. The system according to  claim 1 , wherein the three-dimensional material is bonded to the first fabric portion of the article of footwear and to the second fabric portion of the upper.